Picking motion for looms



Oct. 7, 1930. A. A. GORDON PIGKING MOTION FOR LOOKS Filed Aug. 13, 1929 JM/EA/ 727/? A 455/? TA. GORDON Arum/vars Patented Get. 7, 1939 FFECE ALBERT A. GORDON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMIPTON 8a KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, .A. CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS IPICKING- MOTION FOR LOOMS Application filed August 13, 1929. Serial No. 385,509.

This invention relates to improvements in picker motions for looms and it is the general object of the invention to afford simplified means to regulate the working and non- Working strokes of the picker stick.

In the usual form of picking motion employed in this country the picker stick swings about a pivot near the bottom of the loom, having a working or operative stroke in wa-rdly toward the center of the loom induced by some form of mechanism, such as a cam, to propel the shuttle. After the working stroke is completed it is necessary to return the picker stick to its normal or outward position. This latter movement has heretofore been accomplished through the medium of a tension spring and it is an important object of my present invention to employ this spring in such a way that it will also act tocheck the end of the working stroke of the picker stick and parts connected thereto.

It is a further object of my present invention to employ a lever one arm of which is operatively connected to the spring which acts normally to move the picker stick upwardly on its nonworking stroke, said lever being adapted to have cooperation with a part moving with the picker shaft at or near the end of the picking stroke to absorb the shock of the shaft, thereby reducing the amount of noise ordinarily produced in the operation of picking motions.

It is a more particular object of my present invention to provide an adjustable connection between the aforesaid lever and the picking shaft to enable the spring to absorb whatever shock or surplus force may exist.

It is a further object of'my present invention to provide a single resilient member, such for instance as a tension spring, which is placed under increasing tension throughout the working stroke of the picker stick, and is then operatively connected to a the picking mot-ion so as to absorb shock when in the condition of relatively high strain, the additional strain serving to quicken the return of the picker stick to its normal posit-ion.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combina tion and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,- wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of one end of a loom having my invention applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 22 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic elevation setting forth the operation of. my invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown a loom frame 10 in which are journaled bottom and top shafts 11 and 12, respectively, connected together'by. gears 13 and 14. The bottom shaft has a picking arm 15 secured thereto by a screw 16 and said arm has pivotally mounted thereon a picking roll or ball 17 A picker shaft 18 extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to and under the shaft 11 and is supported by a pair of arms 19 and 20 which are at the front and rear portions, respectively, of the loom. The picker shaft has mounted thereon a picking shoe 21 having cam faces 22 to cooperate with the roll 17 A power arm 23 is secured to and in this instance extends upwardly from the shaft 18 to have pivotal connection with a sweepstick 24. The latter carries a lug strap 25 which extends around a picker stick 26 the lower end of which is pivoted as at 27 to a rocker foot 28. The upper end of the picker stick may have the usual driving relation with a shuttle not shown.

The lower extension of the picker stick below the pivotal support 27 has attached thereto a flexible member, such as a leather strap 29, the inner or right hand end of which as viewed in Fig. 1 is connected to a tension spring 30.

In the operation of the matter thus far described the bottom shaft 11 will make a revolution every other pick of the loom to cause the picking ball to engage the picking shoe for the purpose of rocking the shaft 18 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1.

When this latter movement takes place the arm 23 will be moved to the right, thereby inducing an inward or rocking stroke on the part of the picker stick against the action of the spring to propel the shuttle across the loom. At the completion of the inward stroke of the picker stick the ball 17 will pass out of operative relation with the surfaces 22 and the spring 30 will act through the strap 29 to move the picker stick pivotally back on its non-working stroke to normal position. The lay L may be provided with a stop 31 the efiect of which is to limit left hand movement of the picker stick. The matter thus far described is of common construction and of itself forms no part of my present invention.

It is found in looms where the lay operates at a comparatively high rate of speed that the shaft 18 tends to move somewhat more than is desired by reason of momentum acquired during the operating stroke of the roll 17, and as a result the picker stick and parts operatively connected thereto have a harsh inward movement after the picking stroke of the picker stick is finished, thereby causing noise and vibration which interferes with the smooth operation of the motion.

In carrying my present invention into effect I provide means whereby the spring 30 is caused to absorb the shock incident to the completion of the working stroke of the picking mechanism. Accordingly, I provide the loom frame 10 with a bracket 40 upon which is mounted a horizontal stud 41. Pivotally mounted on said stud is a bell crank lever 42 having a depending arm 43 which is connected to and supports the right hand end of spring 30, as shown in Fig. 1. The upper arm 44 of the bell crank lever is provided with a slot 45 in which is adjustably mounted a stud 46. A finger 47 extends from the hub 48 of the power arm 23 and is positioned to engage the stud 46 at or near the end of the picking stroke.

In operation, as the picker stick moves inwardly from the full to the dotted line position in Fig. 3 the tension spring 30 will be expanded, the arm 43 being restrained against movement to the left as viewed in Fig. 1 by means of a fixed stop 50. During the rocking of the power arm 23 and shaft 18 the finger 47 approaches stud 46 and finally strikes it. This engagement will take place either at or very near the end of the working stroke of the picker stick and will act to rock the bell crank lever 42 in a counterclockwise direction around stud 41 as viewed in Fig. 1 or to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3. This rocking of the lever causes a still further expansion of the spring 30, which acts to absorb the shock ordinarily occurring at the end of the picking stroke. As soon as the picking ball passes out of operative relation with the picking shoe, the spring 30 will act to move the picker stick back to normal position on its non-working stroke. The initiation of this return stroke is quicker than usual due to the additional expansion of spring 30.

From the foregoing it will be understood that I have provided a very simple means for absorbing the shock of a picking motion and also restoring the picker stick to its normal position, these results being accomplished by means of a single resilient element. It will further be seen that the spring which I have employed is that customarily used and that my invention herein contemplates the provision of a movable support for the inner end of the spring, the support being operatively related to the picking mechanism so as to arrest excess motion of the picker stick and parts connected thereto. It will also be seen that the spring is placed under tension on the working stroke of the picker stick and when in this condition is further stressed to absorb the shock of the picking motion.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a picking motion for looms, a picker stick having working and non-working strokes, means to give the picker stick its working stroke, and a yielding device to return the picker stick on its non-working stroke and also to act to check a portion of said picking means on the working stroke of the picker stick.

2. In a picking motion for looms, a picker stick having a working and a non-working stroke, means movable in a given direction to move the picker stick on its working stroke, and a single resilient element effective to check a portion of said picking means as the picker stick nears the end of its working stroke and also to return the picker stick on its non-working stroke.

3. In a picking motion for looms, a picker stick having working and non working strokes, means to give the picker stick its working stroke, a tension spring operatively connected to the picker stick to be extended by the latter during its working stroke, and devices to operatively connect the spring to the picking means as the picker stick reaches the end of its working stroke.

4. In a picking motion for looms, a picker stick having working and non working strokes, means to give the picker stick its working stroke, a tension spring operatively connected to the picker stick to be extended by the latter during its working stroke, and devices to operatively connect the spring to the picking means as the picker stick reaches the end of its working stroke, said devices including a lever supporting one end of the spring and having operative engagement with a member of said picking means.

5. In a picking motion for looms, a picker stick having working and non working strokes, means to give the picker stick its working stroke, a resilient element operatively connected to the picker stick to resist movement of the latter on its working stroke and acting to move the picker stick on its non-working stroke, and devices to be operatively related to the resilient element and to a member of the picking means at the end of the working stroke to place the resilient ele ment under additional strain, thereby arresting movement of said member and cansing the picker stick to start its non-working stroke under influence of the increased strain in the resilient element.

6. In a picking motion for looms, a picker stick having working and non working strokes, means to give the picker stick its working stroke, a tension spring operatively connected to the picker stick to resist movement of the latter on its working stroke and r to effect movement of the picker stick on its non-working stroke, a bell crank lever operatively connected to and supporting one end of the spring, and mechanism to establish operative connection between the bell crank lever and a member of the means at or near the end of the working stroke of the picker stick to operatively connect the spring to said member to check said member.

7. In a picking motion for looms, a picker stick having working and non working strokes, means to give the picker stick its working stroke, a tension spring operatively connected to the picker stick to resist movement of the latter on its working stroke and to effect movement of the picker stick on its non-working stroke, a bell crank lever operatively connected to and supporting one end of the spring, and mechanism to establish operative connection between the bell crank lever and a member of the means at or near the end of the working stroke of the picker stick to operatively connect the spring to said member to check said member, said mechanism including a finger movable with said member and a stud adjustable with respect to the axis of the bell crank lever.

8. In a picking motion for looms, a picker stick having Working and non working strokes, a spring operatively connected to the picker stick to resist movement of the latter on its working stroke and to effect movement thereof on the non-working stroke, a picker shaft, a picking shoe carried thereby, a picking roll to engage the picker shoe to rock the picker shaft, connections between the shaft and the picker stick to move the latter on its working stroke, a bell crank lever one end of which is operatively connected to and supports the spring, and means rigid with the picker shaft to be operatively related to the bell crank lever at or near the end of the working stroke of the picker stick to expand the spring and absorb excess movement of the picker shaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

ALBERT A. GORDON. 

